Apparel carrier



Sept. 19, 1961 R. A. HORTON APPAREL CARRIER Filed April 21, 1959 n R we M mm mwmm V r N fl A H P L A R 1 Il fl United States. Patent 3,000,513 APPAREL CARRIER Ralph A. Horton, 1621 NE. 56th St, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Filed Apr. 21, 1959, Ser. No. 807,845 2 Claims. (Cl. 211-119) This invention relates to an apparel carrier and particularlyto a carrier for neckties or similar slender articles.

The invention contemplates an open frame for the support of a plurality of neckties or the like and with a clamping rail movable to clamp the neckties against slipping with respect to the rail and with the neckties being subsequently rolled around the frame for convenient carrying, as in traveling and with the device also embodying a suspension hook whereby the frame and the supported neckties may be suspended from any suitable support.

The invention contemplates a generally rectangular frame having a lower rail for the support of the ties, an intermediate rail slidable upon the frame and with the intermediate rail also carrying a suspension hook and whereby the lower rail is biased to yieldable engagement with the supported neckties.

The invention also contemplates a carrying device for slender articles such as belts and with the device also embodying a frame and a movable clamping rail that overlies pegs or prongs carried by a supporting rail of the frame and with the clamping rail also being yieldably engaged with the upper ends of the prongs to prevent displacement of the belts.

Novel features of construction and operation of the device will be more clearly apparent during the course of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein have been illustrated the preferred forms of the device and wherein like charactors of reference are employed to denote like parts throughout the several figures.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a carrier constructed in accordance with the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal section taken substantially on line 22 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section taken substantially on line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

Referring specifically to the drawings and particularly to FIGURES 1-3 inclusive, the numeral 5 designates a generally rectangular open frame that is formed of tubular sections and embodying an upper rail 6 and a lower rail 7. The rails 6 and 7 are fixedly connected together by end leg portions 8, the leg portions intermediate their height receiving coupling members 9. The frame is preferably formed from aluminum tubing of any desired diameter. The lower rail 7 is provided with a friction sleeve 10, preferably formed of sponge rubber or the like. The sleeve 10 functions as a means to prevent the slippage of neckties or other slender articles that may be supported upon the rail 7.

Shiftable upon the legs 8 of the frame 5, are blocks 1 11 that are vertically bored to receive the legs 8. The

blocks 11 carry horizontally arranged rails 12 and 13 that are in spaced apart relation and parallel to each other and also parallel with respect to the rail 7. The rails 12 and 13 are connected in any desirable manner with the blocks 11 and whereby to constitute an inner frame that is vertically shiftable upon the legs 8.

Intermediate the length of the rail 13, there is provided a generally square housing 14, that is connected at its lower end to the rail 13' by screws 15. The housing 14 adjacent its upper end is recessed to receive the opposed ends of the rail members 12 and whereby the inner frame is rigidly connected together. The housing 14 is upwardly bored at 16 to form a chamber for a compression spring 17. The spring 17 at its lower end bears upon the rail 13 and at its upper end bears against a piston head 18, carried by the shank portion 19 of a hook 20. The housing 14 is apertured upon its upper end for the slidable reception of the shank 19. As clearly shown in FIGURE 1, the inner frame, embodying the rails '12 and 13 is shiftable upwardly to the dotted line position shown and whereby to enable the placement of a plurality of neckties in overlying relation to the friction sleeve 10. The inner frame constitutes a clamping frame for the neckties and means are provided to securely hold the inner frame in clamping engagement with the ties during the carrying action. Such retaining means consisting in grooving the hook 20 upon its top side for overlying gripping engagement with the lower side of the rail. The groove is indicated at 21, in FIGURE 3. The rail 6 is slightly flexible so that it may have a yielding snapping engagement with the groove 21 of the hook 20. The hook 20 can thus be engaged in the snapping engagement with the rail 6.

In the use of this form of the invention, the hook 20 is released and the inner frame shifted upwardly to the dotted line position. A plurality of neckties or other slender articles are then draped over the rail 7. After the ties have been supported upon the rail 7, the inner frame is manually shifted downwardly, causing the rail 13 to bind upon the group of neckties or the like. Should there be a group of neckties supported upon the rail 7, the inner frame will automatically adjust to the added thickness, by forcing the shank 19 of the hook 20 downwardly against the tension of the spring 17 and when sufiiciently compressed, the hook 20 is moved inwardly and snapped beneath the rail 6, where it is held against movement outwardly. The neckties will thus be fixedly supported against any tendency to slip. When a person has so supported the neckties upon the rail 7, the frame 5 is then folded over and over upon the neckties, causing them to wrap about the frame and forms a convenient package that may be adequately placed within a traveling bag or the like. It is contemplated that a suitable envelope may be engaged over the frame and the supported neckties as an additional protective medium. When the person reaches his destination and the ties are to be suspended for normal use, they are unwrapped from about the frame 5 and the hook 20 then forced downwardly against the spring 17 to release it from its notched engagement with the rail 6. .The inner frame may then be shifted upwardly to the dotted line position, positioning the hook 20 above the frame 5 where it may be suspended upon a suitable closet, clothes rail or the like.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a very novel form of carrier for slender articles, such as neckties, belts or the like has been provided. The invention discloses a novel means for yield-ably binding the supported neckties upon a supporting rail providing a very desirable carrier whereby the ties maybe wrapped around the frame and held against wrinkling and in such case, there is contemplated that a suitable envelope having flap portions and snap fasteners may receive the frame with their wrapped articles for convenient storage, or shipment and also, to provide a convenient suspension means when the frame and the supported articles are removed for use. The device is cheap to manufacture, is strong, durable and most effective for the purposes indicated.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction shown, but that changes are contemplated as readily fall within the spirit of the invention as shall be determined by the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparel carrier of the character described that is adapted to support slender flexible articles, such as neckties, the carrier comprising an open rectangular frame that includes an upper slightly flexible rail, a lower spaced apart rail and with the rails being connected by end leg portions, an article clamping frame that is disposed within the first named frame and with the clamping frame having its end portions mounted within bearing blocks that are apertured to receive the leg portions and to be slidable thereon and whereby the clamping frame is movable toward and from the lower rail, a block carried by the clamping frame intermediate its ends and with the block being chambered, a suspension hook having a shank portion that extends through an aperture formed in the top of the last named block, spring means disposed within the chamber to bias the shank of the hook upwardly, the hook having a head portion that has underlying snapping engagement with the upper rail to yieldably bias the clamping frame in a direction to clamp upon articles supported upon the lower rail, the hook adapted to be disengaged with the upper rail whereby to move upwardly to cause the clamping frame to shift in a vertical direction away from the lower rail whereby the hook is disposed above the frame.

2. A carrier for slender articles such as neckties or the like, comprising a rectangular frame having upper and lower parallel rails and connecting end leg portions, the lower rail constituting a support for the articles, a clamping frame disposed within the first named frame, the ends of the clamping frame being fixed within blocks that are slidable upon the leg portions whereby the clamping frame is shiftable toward and from the lower rail and to and from a clamping engagement with articles supported upon the lower rail, a block fixed upon the clamping frame intermediate its ends, a suspension hook having a head portion and a lower shank, the shank of the hook being yieldably connected to the last named block, the hook having its head portion grooved upon its top to have a snapping underlying engagement with respect to the upper rail, the said hook when in snapped engagement with the upper rail yieldably biasing the clamping frame toward the articles supported upon the lower rail, the said upper rail being slightly flexible to permit the hook and the clamping frame to be shifted upwardly away from the articles upon the lower rail and whereby the hook projects above the first named frame for suspending the device from a support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,266,333 Sholley May 14, 1918 1,347,277 Kernpf July 20, 1920 2,478,297 McGirr Aug. 9, 1949 2,575,979 Simon et al. Nov. 20, 1951 2,828,865 Vidach Apr. 1, 1958 

